When the people in Kennywood's marketing department talk about the "wide demographic" of the visitors to the park, they aren't talking about those who have eaten too often at the Potato Patch.

They are talking about what everyone who has ever been to the West Mifflin amusement park intuitively knows to be true: Kennywood attracts visitors from wide ranges of ages and socio-economic groups. In other words, the place is an advertiser's dream.

Marketing Director Keith Hood said Kennywood Park and its sister parks, Sandcastle and Idlewild, have 2 million visitors a year. This year, the new ownership plans to explore ways to sell advertising throughout the park in places that never had it before.

So are we going to see the New York Stock Exchange Pitt Fall?

"People might be afraid to get on a New York Stock Exchange ride," said Stephen Wayhart, of Carnegie-based BrandMill, which is exploring some of the opportunities.

So what opportunities immediately come to the idle mind: The Witt Pest Exterminator? The Duquesne Light Thunderbolt?

Mr. Wayhart said they aren't ruling anything out yet, though both he and Mr, Hood said any "branding" or sponsorship would be done tastefully. The ideas have never fully been explored.

The three parks had been family-owned since Kennywood opened over a century ago -- when they could perhaps have sold slide rights to the Macassar Co. -- but in June the parks were sold to Spanish-based Parques Reunidos.

So, what now? The Erie Insurance Bumper Cars? Or the Port Authority North Shore Crazy Trolley?

Mr. Hood said the park already has some deals in place. Convenience store chain CoGo's has a presence at the Turnpike Ride just at the park entrance and Pepsi has the drink concessions.

Mr. Wayhart said Ore-Ida, owned by the H.J. Heinz Co., might want the aforementioned Potato Patch.

There are also Phantom Fright Nights at Kennywood and Halloboo that could be sponsored by candy companies.

In some cases, Mr. Hood said, the park might trade sponsorship for services. Possibly Waste Management would have the trash cans. Or Alcosan the, well, never mind.

"We're not going to just slap up any sign," Mr. Wayhart said.

As a marketing tool, he said the opportunities in the park are virtually untapped. They're hoping to sit down with between 10 and 20 companies to see the reaction and get a sense of the market. "We're blue skying it."

This, of course, opens up the potential for a US Airways Skycoaster.

Mr. Wayhart said not to forget about school picnics and the many concessions. "I don't think there's a better marketing opportunity in the region," he said.

But maybe the Edgar Snyder Whip-lash would be going too far.